The special counsel team led by Min Jung-ki, which is investigating allegations related to Kim Keon-hee, will recall former Director General Prosecutor Kim Sang-min on the 23rd. He is suspected of delivering an expensive painting to Kim's side and asking for nominations in the general election.
According to the legal community, the special counsel team notified the former prosecutor on the 20th to appear at the special counsel's office at 10 a.m. on the 23rd. This is the first questioning since the former prosecutor was detained on the 18th on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
Earlier, Park Jeong-ho, a warrant-judge Director General at the Seoul Central District Court, conducted a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (substantive warrant review) on the 17th and issued an arrest warrant for the former prosecutor the next day at the special counsel's request, citing concerns over evidence destruction.
The former prosecutor is accused of buying painter Lee Ufan's work "From Point No. 800298" for 140 million won and delivering it to Kim's older brother, Kim Jin-woo, while asking for nominations in the Apr. 10 general election last year (violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act). The special counsel team believes the painting was likely delivered to Kim through her brother.
The special counsel team believes the former prosecutor learned that Kim favored works by abstract masters Park Seo-bo and painter Jeon Young-geun, then purchased a Lee Ufan painting in a similar style and gave it as a gift.
In fact, the special counsel team said it secured a text message in which brother Kim photographed the painting right after receiving it from the former prosecutor and sent it to Kim. Kim's side said, "It was just a photo he sent to several people to show off the painting," adding, "It looked like a forgery, so there was little reaction." The former prosecutor also countered that he only brokered the painting at Kim's request and there was no quid pro quo.
Accordingly, on the 19th, the day after the former prosecutor was detained, the special counsel team summoned brother Kim as a reference witness and again asked about the circumstances under which he received the painting from the former prosecutor.
In September 2023, while serving as a sitting Director General Prosecutor, the former prosecutor sent a text message to residents in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, saying he was "a Changwon person to the bone," and later pushed ahead with a run for the National Assembly, stirring controversy.
Myeong Tae-gyun, a "political broker" who assisted former lawmaker Kim Young-sun at the time, has claimed that Kim said, "Support Prosecutor Kim Sang-min so he can win in Changwon Uichang District. Then after the election I will give a Minister post or a state-run company presidency."
However, the former prosecutor was ultimately cut during the nomination screening process and, four months later in Aug. last year, was appointed a legal special adviser at the National Intelligence Service. The special counsel team suspects Kim may have exercised influence in the appointment despite it being a special adviser role.
While preparing to run in last year's general election, he is also accused of having a businessman, a person surnamed Park, pay the lending fee for a campaign vehicle on his behalf (violation of the Political Funds Act). Park, known as "Jonber Kim" or the "coin king," is on trial on charges including issuing and listing the scam coin "Grape" from Feb. 2021 to Apr. 2022 and taking 80.9 billion won.